Torpedo director



March 6, 1928. 1,661,686

- M. F. BATES ToRPEDo DIRECTOR Filed Feb. ze. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 l CN Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

PATENT oEFICE.

UNITED STATES MORTIMER F. BATES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPERRY G'YRO- SCOPE COMPANY, OF'BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TORPEDO DIRECTOR.

Application filed February 26, 1923.' Serial No. 621,483.

This invention relates to torpedo control and has for its object the provision of an improved device for such control. More specifically, my invention relates to an automatically controlled device for ascertaining the proper moment of discharge of a torpedo to make a hit. While the particular device herein disclosed and described is primarily adapted and intended for use in connection with the launching of torpedoes, the principles involved are undoubtedly applicable to analogous usages, and my invention is not to be limited to torpedo usages alone, even though for the purpose of setting forth r and defining my invention, lf may be obliged to employ description and explanation in the more specific terms of this particular use.

The factors to be dealt with in a device where the interception of the course of an enemy ship is to be figured, are the course and speed of the enemy ship, the course of the torpedo carrier, the speed and range of the torpedo, the angle of discharge of the torpedo, the rudder set of the torpedo, the drift of tide or current and the correction of the sight line due to variations in the course of the ship.

fn this device, an element known as the enemy course bar is to be set and maintained parallel with the course of the enemy ship. which considered in the instrument itself is tantamount to an angular adjustment in relation to the fore and aft line of thel ship firing the torpedo.

matically to maintain the position of the enemy course bar parallel to the course of the enemy ship, independent-ly of the fore and aft line of the ship carrying the torpedo, so that whether the latters course be `varied or altered, the enemy course bar will maintain its factor in the angular set of the sight bar, as long as the enemys course is unchanged. This result accomplish by angularly displacing the enemy course bar a distance equal .to the angular variation in the course of the ship carrying the torpedo, employing for thispurpose a repeater motor actuated by a master gyroscopic compass.

Another objectof my invention is to provide an efficient means for locking the enemy course har and the compass card together, which comprises an electromagnetic clutch. The advantage of this arrangement is that My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection .with the accompanying drawings and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Tn the drawings illustrating what l now consider the preferred form of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a. plan view,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with certain parts in section,

Fig. 3 is an' enlarged sectional view illustrating the operating parts,

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a modification of a portion of the Fig. 2 device, and

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the circuits.

Referring now to the drawings in which the numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical casing in which is mounted certain operating mechanism to be described in detail hereinafter. The casing is mounted in gimhal rings 2, 3 in the usual manner, and has secured thereto, such as by screw 4. a top plate 5 which is formed on its periphery with ay flange 6 fitting over the edge of the casing 1. On this flange are graduations, as shown at in Fig. 2. preferably from zero to 180 in An object of the present invention is auto-- both directions, the zero and the 180 mark being set in the true fore and aft line of lthe keel of the ship with the zero mark toward the bow thereof. This circle will therefore read in true angular relation to the fore and aft line of the ship. The plate 5 is also formed with a central opening 8, and an upwardly extending sleeve 9 concenn tric therewith. A. sleeve 10 is rotatably fitted around the sleeve 9, and carries a bar formed on diametrically opposite sides thereof as shown at l1 and 11', which bar is termed the torpedo bar. rllhis bar is intended to be set at the angle of the tube from which the torpedo is to be discharged and it therefore lies parallel to the course of the torpedo in the water. rIhe end 11 is formed with a pointer 12 to cooperate with the scale 7, and the end 11 is formed with a flan e 13 carrying a set screw 14 arranged to hol the pointer 12 in fixed relation to the scale 7 in a manner readily understood. The end 11 of the torpedo bar is formed with an upwardly extending arm 15 which rigidly supports at 16 a scale which is calibrated to read knots per hour and indicating the speed of different torpedoes, the scale itself not being visible in the figure. The scale is on the upper surface of a hollow frame 17 arranged to accommodate a slide block 18, which is moved along the scale 16 by a screw 19, in a manner readily understood. As indicated above the scale 16, in other words the frame 17, is rigidly Secured to the arm 15 of the torpedo bar and is mounted in the same vertical plane as and parallel to said bar. Therefore, the slide block 18 may be set bythe screw 19 for the speed of the particular torpedo which is to be fired.

Suitably journaled within the central opening 8 and the upper end of sleeve 9, such as by ball bearings 20 and 21, is a hollow sleeve 22 which carries a compass card 23, which is arranged to maintain the same position in azimuth by means of mechanism to be hereinafter described. lVithin the sleeve 22 is rotatably journaled a shaft 24 which carries a member 2 5 known as the enemy or pointer bar. The shaft 24 may be journaled in the sleeve 22 by means of ball bearings as shown at 26 and at its opposite end in a frame 27 carried by the plate 5 as shown at 28. The enemy bar is intended to be disposed parallel to the course of the enemy ship against which the torpedo is to be directed. The enemy bar 25 carries a scale 29 graduated from lthe center outwardly in knots per hour, so that the slide block 30, which cooperates therewith in a manner similar to the block 18 with respect to scale 16, may be set for the speed of the enemy ship, by means of the lscrew 31, as will be readily understood.

On the slide block 18 is rotatably journaled a shaft 32 which carries a sight har 33, which passesethrough the slide block 30, as shown in Fig. 2 at 50, and gives the alignment for the point inthe enemys course which the enemy ship must occupy at the moment of discharge of the torpedo in order tat the torpedo `may intercept the enemy s 1p.

As shown in Fig. 2, lhe sight har- 33 is loosely mounted on the shaft 32, and has an arm 34 projecting therefrom on which is rotatably mounted a graduated head 35, to cooperate with a pointe'.l 36. rlhe head 35 is secured to a screw indicated by the dotted line 37 which screw is in threaded engagement with an arm 38 of a sleeve 39 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 32. On the sleeve 39 is secured a pointer 40. lt is therefore clear that the sight bar 33 is moved with the shaft 32,.:1nd that the pointer 40 and the sight bar 33 may be relatively displaced through the rotation of graduated head 35. Any sut'able type of scale may be provided to indicate the movement by the head 35 which may provide for correction of tidal influence on the torpedo and under certain conditions, for the angle of a parallax resultant from the angular gyroscope set of the torpedo, and the parallax error due to the distance of the torpedo tube from the director.

In the instrument thus far described, if properly set and handled, the sight bar 33 points to the position which the enemy ship must occupy at the moment of discharge of the torpedo, in order to make a hit. If provided with a. telescope, the ship would be so sighted, and such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 5 in which the telescope 41 is shown pivotally mounted to rotate about an axis 42 normally at right angles to the sight bar'33 on the shaft 32. The axis 42 may be supported by a spair of arms 43 secured to-a base 44 which is arranged to fit the upper square end of the shaft 32 and held thereon by a screw cap 45. Normally, the telescope and the bar 33 are sighted along the same line, but, as above pointed out, they may be relatively displaced by the rotation of the head 35 to make the corrections referred to.

Obviously, in below deck use, an actual sighting of the bar 33 cannot be had. Furthermore, if the torpedo tube is a bow tube, that is, the axis thereof coincides with the fore and aft axis of the vessel, pointer 33 will give the correct reading oli/scale 23. If, however, the torpedo tube is not a bow tube but has its axis at an angle to the fore and aft axis ofthe vessel, then torpedo bar 12 is moved through this angle thus moving also pointer 33, and introducing an error. To compensate for this error I provide the following adjustment. p

For this purpose, the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided in which the pointer 40 is mounted for reference to a circular card 46 which is rotatable on a ring 47 fixed on the square top of shaft 32. The card 46 has a double lseries of grznluations 46 and 46". The outer one 46 adjacent the pointer 40 has graduations corresponding to the sight circle 23', that is the graduations on the compass card 23, but graduated i' rom the opposite points. to wit, clockwise from zero to 360"l with the zero at six oclock of the clock face and with its zero-18()o line always parallel with the fore and aft. line of the ship. This provides for the correct, reading of the pointer 4() which will thus indicate on the scale 46 that degree of enemy position which would be indicated by a pointer radially run from thercenter of the periscope parallel to the sight bar 33, which would thus cut the scale 41 at the true degree of horizon which would correspond with the reading of the periscope.

graduations readin The scale 46" is concentrically arranved within the scale 46con the ring 46 and 2has from zero to 180 in both directions which are read referable to a pointed mark 48 arbitrarily located on one of the spokes lof the ring 47. The scale 46 provides for a corrective setting of the sec- 'onda-ry sight circle 46 according to the angle of the vtorpedo correction made by moving the bar 11. The exact location of this pointer .is immaterial, except that it and the scale should be so 'disposed that when zero ofthe scale 46" is oppo site the pointer mark 48, thel `'secondary sight circle 46 should haveits zero at six oclock of the instrument, or in other words, on the aft end of the-fore and aft axis of the instrument.

In case the -torpedo tube is not a bow'tube,

as the example'for which the arrangement described is set, then obviously, sett-ing the torpedo bar 11 at thel angle of the torpedo tube will vary the sight .bar '33 lrom the position it would occupyif the torpedo tube were `a bow tube. For example, if the torpedo was to be fired from a. staboard bow .tube set at 45, then the torpedo bar 11 would be turnedto the starboard halt way between the 40o and 50 niark, `which would of course move the sight bar 33 laterally, inasmuch as it ispivotally mounted on the torpedo bar 12.

Inzorder therefore to correct what would otherwise bean verror in the rea-ding of the pointer 40, the seconda-ry sight circule 46 is so moved in the direction opposite-to that in which the torpedo bar 12has been moved` until the inner graduations 46 sli/ow half way between the 40 and 50 opposite the pointer 48, This will correct the'reading of the'pointer 4'0 on the secondary' sight graduations 46 which will then indicate the exact degree of horizon on which the enemy ship l J to Judge 1n advance whether the enemy mustbe sighted to make the hit.

The above constitute the general operations and adjustments, but there are at least two other factors for which adjustment must be made. These are the resultant drift of the torpedo incase of cross tide or the like, and secondly the angle of parallax which is variant depending upon the distance of the enemy ship and the distance from the director to the tube, or the radal'distance for a course at which the enemy ship is sighted when the torpedo is tired may not `be too great to effect a hit. The distance at which the enemy ship may be sighted when the torpedo is tired depends upon its distance at that moment and the relation of its course to that which the torpedo is to take. If the interception of the line of the enemys course with the line of the torpedos course is at a point in excess ot' the range of the torpedo, no hitwould be effected and the torpedo lost. i It ytherefore becomes necessary to know at the moment whenthe enemy ship is sighted, and it is desired to launch the torpedo, whether the enemyg'ship is at a distance so that it will lbe within the range of the torpedov if fired. As -different. torpedoes have diii'crent rangesan'd different speeds, it is necessary to have means by which these facts Amay be determined. This is accomplished by `longitudinally channeling the sight bar 33 vided :s there are torpedoes of different' range or speed, either or both, yorblank strips ot' celluloid may be provided so that they may be graduated for any torpedo. Each strip' 49 has an indication ofthe range and speed of the torpedo with which it is to'be used and each strip is scaled according to the range-and speed of the torpedo. These scales are to be read with reference to .a pointer mark 50 on the slide 30Zot' the enemyy course bar 25.

lVhen the instrument has been Aproperly set with the proper scale 49 in place, the officer in charge of the instrument while waiting forthe enemy ship to come into the indicated position when the torpedo must be discharged, notes the enemys distance as reported to him. By reference to the position ofthe pointer 50 on the scale 49, he is able ship will probably be within rangeaand if at 'the moment ot' lfire the enemy sh1p is announcedto be at a. distance greater.V l

By locating the scale on the sight bar, it is possible on account of itsguided relation on the slide 30 on the venemy course bar 25 lll) to use a graduated scale which. will show center of the pivot post 24 and the center of' the pivot post 32 of the slide 18 on the torpedo vtube bar 12y with said slide .set with the given speed of the torpedo. This dis'- tance is measured ofi and marked on the card'from the center of the pivot post 32, so that when the card is in place, the maximum range at the given speed indicated on the This distance on the strip representing the known limit of rangegin yards, may be subdivided and the various prol'i'ortional ranges marked off. As this calculation is perfectly simple, the strips furnished with officer' for the speeds and ranges of torpedoes my device may be marked off by the torpedo which he carries in his torpedo equipment.

lVith the above understanding of the construction and operation of my device it will,I be seen that if the enemy bar 25 be in true parallelism with the course ofthe enemy and wl-ien the sight bar 33 is in line with the enemy at this moment, 'a discharge of the torpedo would score'a hit. p

`When the apparatus isnot in use, lit may be'desii'able to lock the parts in a fixed position. For locking the enemy bar 25 in a fixed position a hole 51 is provided at Vone end, to be engaged by a spring-pressed plunger 52, on the arm 15, which plungeris normally held out of engagement by a pin 53 against the collar 54. A similari locking device 55 may be provided for V'the compass card 23, mounted on a dishcd frame 56 secured to the sleeve 9 as shown in Fig. 3.

` The enemy bar 25 may also be provided at its outward end with a projecting plate 57 having an opening 58, through which the sight circle 23 1s visible. The opening 58 is in member 59 which carries a set screw 60 byI means of-Which it maybe secured on the frame 56 opposite a position on the sight circle 23 or the compass reading. This del vice is employed when the enemy bar 25 is manually operated. As shown in Fig. -1, the member 59 carries a pointer 61 and has a small scale reading in opposite directions from zero, located at the center point. By this arrangement, the bar 25 may be conven-l iently moved to coincide With the changesv Furthermore. considerable vai'iatioii of course is usually necessary, especially in action, and even these deliberate variations in emergencies and under excitement are difficult to report accurately and tomake adjiistment fall properly. I therefore have made provision for automatic compensation for variation from the predetermined course; so that the enemy bar 25 will be maintained in parallelism with the enemy course, regardless of the yawing of the ship.

I accomplish this byv floating that portion of my apparatus which relates to the enemy course, namely, the compass card 23 and the enemy course bar 25, which as previously described, are relatively movable with respect to each other and ,to the fixed base plate 5.- As shown in Fig. 3, the shaft 24, which carries at its upper end the enemy bar 25, carries at its lowerend an armature 62, which is in the form of a ring and secured to a collar 63 fixed on the shaft 24 by means` ofa ring member 64. The sleeve 22, which carries the compass card 23, has fixed there- 'to an annular magnetic member 65 Vwhich has been hollowed to house a magnetizing coil 66, the surrounding Walls forming pole pieces to cooperate with the armature 62 and foi-in a magnetic clutch. On the upper surface of the member 65 are two' slip rings 67 68, insulated therefrom by a member 69, y

and adapted to be engaged by brushes 70, 71, respectively, through which the coil 66 is energized in a well understood manner.

The niember65 is also provided With a gear 72, which meshes with a gear 7 3 on a shaft 74. 'As shown in Fig. 4, the gear 73 is in two parts, the .lower of which is keyed to the shaft by a pin 7 5,and the upper of which is loosely mounted on the shaft 74, said two parts being connected by a spring 76. This arrangement is to preventlost motion between the gears 73 and 72 .as is Well understood. The shaft is'rotated by -a repeater motor 77 adapted to be actuated from a gyroscopic compass. Preferably, three rel-peater motors are employed as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 6, to increase the torque, said motors being geared to the shaft 74 by suitable gears.` But two of the repeater motors 77, 77 are visible in Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that shaft 74 has keyed theretql a gear 78 and is driven by motor 77 throtigh va gear 79. The other inovtors may vdrive the shaft in a similar manner.

The shaft 74 also' carries a gear 80 which is arranged to mesh with a crown gear 81 carried by a plunger 82, mounted in the casing '1, which latter gear is normally held from engagement with gear 8O by spring 83. The shaft 82 is provided with a handle 84, by

means of which the spring 83 may be coni-- lpressed and the crown gear 81 brought into` mesh with gear 8O and rotated to synchroni'ze the compass card 23l with the master compass which actuates the repeaters 77, 77 and 77. As shown in Fig. 6, these repeatersare connected in parallel, the circuit` 4being controlled by al switch 85.

the sight bar 33. In this manner the enemy course bar is kept constantly parallel to the ycourse .of the enemy ship. By the clutch arrangement described, the compass card and enemy 'bar may be instantly locked together ornnlocked. Itis obvious that they should be locked While the enemy maintains his course, but Whenever he changes, the enemylbar must be adjusted accordingly, and since changes in the .enemy course'may be rapid, and since the enemy course bar to be of any value Whatever must be adjusted ac- 1 cordingly, time is a'most essential element. A mechanical lock would be impractical. In

my invention, the locking and unlocking of the compass card and enemy lyir is .practically instantaneous, that is, by simply operatgingv the switch 85.

'In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, VI have herein described the principle of operation ,of my invention, together with the apparatus, which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can b'e carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted v vithout interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use. s

Having herein described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1; In atorpedo director, a graduatedbase circle, a. rotatable element having a pointer i circumferentially adjustable on said circle, a 'graduated'slide member carried by said element and having a portion adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, a sight bar pivotally mounted on saidslide 'member for movement in a plane parallel to that of said pointer, a compass card concentric with the axis of said element, and a pointer bar rotatableon the axis of said ele- `ment adjustable to positions on the compass card, said pointer bar having a graduated slide member adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, said latter graduated member slidably engaging the free enel of said sight bar.

2. In a torpedo director, a graduated base circle, a rotatable element having a'pointer eircumferentially adjustable on said circle, a. graduated slide member carried by said element and having a portion adjustable radially with respect to said.base circle, a sight bar pivotally mounted `on said slide .member for movement in aplane parallel for movement with said sight bar and means for relatively displacing said telescope and bar.

3. In a torpedo director or the like, the combination ot' a compasscard, a pointer bar, sighting means connected therewith, means for locking said card an'dbar together compri-ing an electro-magnetic clutch and# a switch for controlling saidclutch.

4. In a torpedo director, the combination l of a sightxbar, means for adjusting said sight bar, a telescope carried by said sight bar, means for adjusting said telescope with respect to said bar and means for fixing said bar at will in azimuth.

5. In'a torpedo director, a graduated base circle, a rotatable element having a pointer circun'iferentially adjustable on said circle, a graduated slide member carried by said element adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, a sight bar pivotally mounted on said slide member for movement4 in a plane parallel to that ot' said pointer, a compa s card concentric with said element, a pointer baiV rotatable on the-axis of said element adjustable to positions on the compass card, said pointer bar having a graduated slide member adjustable radially With respect to said base circle, said latter graduated member, slidably engaging the .free end of said sight bar, means mounted lfor movementswith sa1d sight bar for mdicircle, a rotatable element having a pointer circumferentially adjustable on said circle, a graduated slide member carried by said element adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, a sight bar pivotally mounted on said slide member for movement in a plane parallel to that of saidy pointer, a compass card concentric AWith said element, a pointer bar rotatable on the axis of said element adjustable to positions on the compass card, said pointer bar havin a graduated slide member adjustable ra ially Vwith respect to said base circle, said latter graduated member slidably engaging the free end of said sight bar, an electromagnetic clutch for locking said compass cardand pointer lIU.

v said base circle, a sight bar pivotally mounted on said slide'inember for movement in a 'plane parallel to that of said pointer, a c0111-, pass card concentric with said element, al

pointer bar rotatable on the axis of said element adjustable to positions on the compass card, said pointer bar havin a graduated slide member adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, an electromagnetic clutchfor locking said compass card and j combination with a. casing having fixed pointer bar together, said latter graduated member slidably engaging the free end of said sight bar, means mounted for movement with said sight bar for indicating the course of the object to be aimed at, means for adjusting said latter means to compensate for corrections and a switch for controlling said clutch..

8. In a torpedo director, the combination comprising a fixed base plate having a central opening and a graduated circle concentric with said opening, a sleeve on said plate surrounding said opening, a rotatable elcment surrounding saidi sleeve having a pointer circumferentially adjustable on said graduated circle, a graduatedy slide member carried by said element having a part adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, a sight bar pivotally mounted on said adjustable part for movement ina plane parallel to that of said pointer, a hollow member journaled in said sleeve and said Leonesa plate extending through said central opening, said hollow member carrying at its upper end a compass card concentric with said base cricle, and at its lower end one member of an electro-magnetic' clutch, a rotatable shaft within said hollow member carrying at its upper end a pointer bar adjustable to vpositions on the compass card, said pointer bar having a graduated slide member adjustable radially with respect to said base circle, said latter graduated member slidably engaging the free end of said sight bar, a. second member ot' an electromagnetic clutch secured to the clutch member, carried on said hollow member, and a compass controlled repeater motor for driving the latter clutch member.

9. A structure as specified in claim 1 in thereto said base circle, a Cardan mounting for said casing, an electro-magnetic clutch for locking said compass card and pointer bar together located in said casing, al compass controlled repeater motor'for driving said clutch, and a switch for controlling said clutch.

10. A structure as specified in claim l in combination with a casing having fixed thereto said base circle, an electro-magnetic clutch within said casing for locking said 'compass card and pointer bar together, a

said casing for driving Said clutch, means for synchronizing said repeater motor with the transmitter, means for locking the coinvthe lower end of said shaftto cooperate with vcompass controlled repeater motor within` pass card in a fixed position and means for locking the'pointer bar in a certain position. In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

' MORTIMER F. BATES. 

